A Choro Reunion

Most students, during their time at a Japanese university, take part in some sort of extracurricular activity. There are a variety clubs at the collegiate level, ranging from music and sports to photography and community service. Much of my time during my year as an exchange student was spent as a member of L.A.M.B.S. (Latin American Music and Batucada Society). The club is centered around Brazilian Carnaval-esque music and dance, culminating in a large performance at the widely popular Asakusa Carnaval in late August. Besides samba, many club members would form sub-groups and experiment with other genres of Brazillian music. I personally was part of a group focused on Choro, a popular genre characterized by cheerful, uplifting rhythms. I had become particularly close with my Choro group, so the prospect of being able to meet up with them again in Shinjuku had me beyond excited.

Shinjuku, while a business district during the day, springs to life at night with an impressive bar scene. Businessmen and businesswomen flock to izakaya, casual after-work drinking establishments that serve shareable dishes such as yakitori and edamame to compliment the drinks.

With a single toast and a "Kampai!" (the Japanese equivalent of "Cheers!"), it was as if I hadn't even left Japan. We spent much of the evening catching up, eating, drinking, laughing, and all in all just enjoying ourselves.

We eventually had to relocate, as our current izakaya was taking last orders and getting ready to close for the night. Wandering throughout alleyways packed with small bars and eateries, we found a small place that had just enough room to accommodate our group so we could resume the night's festivities.

Our numbers slowly began to dwindle (some had to wake up early for work the following day), but we continued as long as we possibly could. Yet, the time to catch the last train home was finally upon us. We took one final group picture commemorating our reunion before heading to our respective train lines, ending our fun-filled night.